Is What Happened to Paul a real Netflix documentary?
New true crime documentariesdrop onNetflixevery month, but viewers have been left confused after trying to find a “bizarre” docu-series: What Happened to Paul?
Netflix is a treasure trove of true crime. Just last week, it droppedApple Cider Vinegar, a series based on the shocking story of Belle Gibson, a wellness influencer who lied about having terminal brain cancer.
Thestreaming servicehas made some of the best documentaries of the past 10 years; Fyre, Our Father, andThe Deepest Breath, to name just a few.
However, you may be a bit baffled if you’ve tried to watch What Happened to Paul, seemingly exploring a mysterious missing persons case. Don’t worry, there’s a simple (and frustrating) explanation.
Is What Happened to Paul real?
No, What Happened to Paul isn’t a real Netflix documentary. Unfortunately, you’ve been duped by a viral TikTok.
More specifically, you’ve been tricked byMR.MOVIE. Earlier in January, he posted a video about a “bizarre missing persons documentary” and attached eight hashtags, including #netflix.
In the TikTok, he says: “There’s a missing persons documentary on Netflix with one of the creepiest voicemails you’ll ever hear. It’s called What Happened to Paul?
“On August 18, 2025, Paul Gambone seemed to vanish into thin air. He told his wife he was going outside to check his food on the grill. After about 20 minutes, she wondered where Paul was so she went outside to check.
“She found the food burning on the grill and Pual was nowhere to be found. Paul was last seen at his home in Ardmore, which is near Philadelphia [the way he pronounces this should have been a dead giveaway], which is actually a town in Pennslyvania.”
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According to MR.MOVIE, Paul left a voicemail on his wife’s phone three weeks after his disappearance. The recording is ridiculous. It starts with Paul saying, “It’s me, Mario” before talking about working at the carnival. However, there’s a twist. “I’m not really working at a carnival. Honey, they’ve taken me, they’re forcing us to do things. Please help me,” he says.
The video has racked up more than four million views, so it’s not surprising that some people believe it’s real. Let me reiterate: it isn’t.
What about What Happened to Martha?
Sorry, but if you’ve tried to find What Happened to Martha on Netflix, you’ve been tricked by the same TikToker – it’s not real.
MR.MOVIE posted a new video on Sunday, February 9. It follows the same beats as his What Happened to Paul video, claiming that a woman vanished and left a creepy voicemail (he also hilariously butchers the pronunciation of Providence).
This time, the voicemail is overtly more sinister, seemingly a recording of Martha killing someone with a chainsaw. Rest assured, it is completely fake.
For more (real) true crime news, read aboutAmerican Murder: Gabby Petito, theOJ Simpson doc to watch after American Manhunt, andwhether Cynthia and Antwon Mans went to jail.
